Some 860 students from across the Washington State University system will be celebrated as new graduates Saturday during Fall Commencement.
The event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at Beasley Coliseum. The ceremony – expected to take two hours – is free and open to the public. A shuttle will transport visitors from the Alumni Centre parking lot to and from Beasley.
Those attending are invited to ring the victory bell, so long as it isn’t below freezing. Saturday’s high temperature is expected to near 45 degrees, with a 30 percent chance of rain, according to the National Weather Service.
The annual ceremony has grown tremendously since its debut in 2001, when fewer than 400 students attended. Among those graduating Saturday are 721 undergraduates, 67 masters’ students, 19 MBAs and 54 doctoral candidates. Six ROTC members will also be commissioned as military officers during the ceremony.
Nearly 200 soon-to-be graduates who take classes outside of Pullman will be in attendance, including 93 from WSU Global Campus. Pullman is the only WSU campus to host fall commencement ceremonies.
Former PACCAR CEO and current chairman Mark Pigott will receive an Honorary Doctor of Education Degree during the ceremony. Quinton Berkompas, ASWSU president, Morgan Atwood, the ASWSU president of Global Campus, Matthew Sutherland, the GPSA vice president of legislative affairs and Jane Yung will all speak briefly to the class.
A live stream of the ceremony will be available and users of social media are encouraged to use #CougGrad in social posts.
More information, including a map of available parking, can be found on the commencement website.
